The Beers - "The Beers Hotel" (Toasted Records, Ltd 2001)
From Aural Innovations #20 (July 2002)
‘The Beers Hotel’ is a disk that bristles with influences — essaying Husker Du, The Velvet Underground, Nirvana, Jefferson Airplane, R.E.M. and other seminal acts. Fifteen tracks cover a broad swath of punk/post punk territory, with a helping of brooding psychedelia thrown in. "In Memoriam" and "Never Be Free" are punk/grunge workouts, "Shade Of Grey" is a mid-tempo guitar piece, "Light Beer" is reminiscent of mid-80s Violent Femmes. There are a number of offbeat offerings: "Burnt Coffee" opens with a Spanish guitar accompanying a Siouxsie And The Banshees bridge. "Alcoholic Toy" is the most interesting track, a psychedelic number with nicely phased guitar work. "Maryville" is the best produced and melodic of the punk offerings, recalling Copper Blue Sugar.
St. Louise has been home and proving ground for The Beers since 1987; they’ve absorbed a plethora of influences, and would be a good bet for punk nostalgia buffs, but ‘Hotel’ is not likely to break new ground musically, and while a solid enough offering, does not offer a coherent picture of this band’s musical destination — and I’d be interested in seeing where they go.
For more information you can visit The Beers web site at: http://members.tripod.com/~jaytee2/beers.htm.
Hear songs at The Beers Mp3.com web site at: http://www.mp3.com/thebeers.
Contact via snail mail c/o The Beers; 1899 Braumton Ct; Chesterfield, MO 63017.
Reviewed by Ian Compton